


Virtually Yours

by goodgirlfaith (boomersoonerash)



Series: Twelve Days of Ficmas [6]
Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Zombies, Boys In Love, Boys Kissing, Community: comment_fic, Cuddling & Snuggling, Established Relationship, Explicit Language, Fade to Black, Friends With Benefits, Gay Male Character, Gift Fic, Kissing, M/M, Prompt Fic, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-19
Updated: 2016-12-19
Packaged: 2018-09-09 19:26:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8909071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/boomersoonerash/pseuds/goodgirlfaith
Summary: Daryl and Paul have a talk about a text that Daryl sent him before he came back home.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [creepy_shetan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/creepy_shetan/gifts).



> day 6 of 12 days of ficmas.  
> written for this prompt from comment_fic on lj: author's choice, any, (616): On my way home right now. I miss you. let's cuddle. whiskey.

Paul kept going over in his head the message that Daryl sent him just this morning. A message that simply had read On my way home right now. I miss you. let's cuddle. whiskey. Which some of it wasn't new to Paul.

The cuddling certainly wasn't new and neither was the whiskey as both men loved to drink it every once in awhile but what was new was the part where Daryl referred to Paul's house as his home because so far in the span of the three years that they've had this..whatever type of relationship it is they have between them, Daryl's never called his house his own home.

Instead Daryl was sort of like a moving piece in and out of Paul's life. Sometimes he'd stick around for a few months and then once Merle called him he'd go running and Paul got it. Merle was his brother and Paul was just the guy he had sex with on occasion.

The guy who didn't badger him or bother him about settling down which was probably good because in Paul's eyes Daryl had never seemed like the settling down type. Which was probably why their relationship suited Daryl and he kept coming back.

Because he knew in the end Paul wouldn't hassle him to be an honest man or to stay or to remain faithful. Though it's the last bit he never asked about because as much as he never asked Daryl to remain faithful it didn't mean he maybe didn't want it and if Daryl had been with someone else there was no way Paul wanted to know.

So in the end the home bit was the part Paul couldn't forget. The part that kept running through his brain because maybe it meant Daryl was finally ready to settle down and start roots. Have a life that didn't consist of Merle and traveling from place to place for months on end until he decided to show up in the tiny Virginia town Paul called home for however long it took Merle to get bored without his brother.

But even the thought of Daryl being ready for that was enough to make Paul get butterflies in his stomach. Enough to make him wonder if he himself was ready for a relationship. It had been five years now since Alex who was his last long term relationship.

The last one before he began whatever he had with Daryl and since then there had been no one else. So Paul knew to some people they'd probably consider Daryl a relationship for him already but he didn't. Not when they really hadn't put labels on what they had.

They just were and that had always been enough. Even with Paul's yearning for more because he did sort of want what his friends had.

What Maggie had with Glenn which was a marriage and a baby or even what Tara had with Denise. Stability and someone to always come home too instead of wondering if the person you were seeing or sleeping with would be gone by the time you came in from work.

It had happened to Paul on enough occasions with Daryl that he was used to it. Though maybe the last time it had happened it had hit him a bit worse than normal.

So maybe Paul had his answer with all that on if he was ready for a relationship and clearly he was. Very ready and maybe had been for the past year.

Scared to tell Daryl because he knew how he was but now with the text. Well maybe it was a perfect time to tell him. They could discuss it as they cuddled or even before. Paul wasn't really picky either way just as long as it happened.

Because fuck him Daryl calling his house home had really done a fucking number on him. Bigger than what he had expected.

Coming out of his thoughts though when he heard a knock on his door, Paul moved off the couch quicker than a bullet out of a gun. Getting to the door in record time and when he threw it open he knew he probably looked like a huge fucking idiot with the smile that he was giving Daryl who was standing on his front porch with a bottle of whiskey in hand.

"Didn't know you were going to bring your own bottle of whiskey," Paul spoke hoping he didn't sound as nervously giddy as he felt.

Daryl shrugged his shoulders as he came in, not even waiting for Paul to let him in. Though then again if he considered this place his home he wouldn't have to wait on Paul because it was as much his place as Paul's.

"Didn't know if you had any here," Daryl told him as he headed into the living room and Paul quickly shut the door heading after him. "Don't really know how much you drink when I'm gone."

"Not much," Paul admitted as his cheeks heated up in a blush. "Don't really like the hard stuff too much," he said as he watched Daryl turn to face him with a look of amusement and Paul's blush grew. "I know I suck, right?" he asked with a slight laugh as he sat on the couch once they finally made it to the living room. "I look all badass and manly and yet I don't like the harder kinds of alcohol."

"Not everyone does," Daryl said as he sat down beside Paul. Sitting the bottle of alcohol down on the table. "I only tolerate it cause it's all I was raised on with my dad and Merle drinking it or moonshine."

Paul still felt his blush grow even at Daryl's words, mainly because he felt like Daryl was just saying them to make Paul feel better. A habit the older man had and one which Paul normally loved and hell he was the same way usually.

Biting his lip though he didn't call Daryl out on that. Instead he just raised his eyes and asked a simple question. "So do we drink the whiskey now or cuddle? I'm up for either or," he said through a smile.

It had been so long since Paul had been in Daryl's arms. Probably five months at best if Paul's math was right, not that he kept track though as pathetic as it was he did keep track nowadays of how long Daryl stayed gone.

It was something that had started just to see if the time away became longer or less and well it was hard to tell because it seemed to vary. Mostly on how much of Merle, Daryl needed before getting sick of being near his older brother.

A man who Paul hadn't met because as Daryl put it, he just wouldn't understand that his brother was gay and so Daryl kept it a secret from him and his dad. A fact that Paul was okay with because he knew some people just wouldn't understand even if the majority of the world did seem to be catching on that being gay was okay.

"Cuddling sounds nice first actually," Daryl answered Paul and his answer surprised the man because usually it was drinks then cuddling or sex, sometimes both.

He didn't think it had ever been cuddling first. So of course he was curious and raised his eyebrow. "Figured you would have went with the alcohol first," he admitted honestly as he locked eyes with Daryl. "It's always the alcohol then being affectionate with me after."

Daryl shrugged his shoulders as he looked away from Paul's gaze, "Just had a shit week and could really use a cuddle," he explained as he looked back up and Paul wasn't surprised that Daryl didn't tell him what was wrong.

Daryl usually took awhile to open up about things that were bothering him. So in the end Paul would just wait until he was ready.

"Come on then," Paul spoke as he stood up from the couch. "Let's go to the bedroom. Better place to cuddle than the couch if you ask me and well your week would probably get even shittier with a sore back."

Laughing Daryl stood up as he leaned into Paul. Close enough that they could have kissed but Daryl didn't make any move to kiss him. "Think you're just trying to get in my pants there Rovia."

Paul laughed as well before shaking his head, "You're wrong, but if I was I don't think you'd mind. I've never heard you complain before when I've done it," he winked before finally leaning in and closing the gap between them.

His lips brushing slightly against Daryl's before he pulled away with a tiny smirk. "Now come on and cuddle with me Dixon," he stated before turning and leading the way to the bedroom...a bedroom that could almost be theirs.

One that Daryl may have thought of as theirs especially if he considered this place his home and Paul did want to question him about it but well now wasn't the time he felt. That or he could just be trying to stall. Both were options he wasn't sure he could deny at all.

***

After awhile of being in the bed, in relative silence, Paul chewed on his lip as he finally decided to bring up the text and home and what it meant.

"Did you mean what you said in your text?" Paul asked softly his back to Daryl because of course Paul was the little spoon. He just liked being held especially by Daryl. "I mean besides the whiskey and the cuddling because we're cuddling and you did bring the whiskey."

"What else was there for me to be honest about then?" Daryl asked a curiousness to his voice. "I don't think I said more than those two things that I was bringing."

Shaking his head Paul turned in Daryl's arms so that he could face the other man. "I mean when you said you were on your way home. You called this place you're home and I mean...does that mean you really consider it you're home now? You want to live here with me?"

After he had said what he did Paul felt himself blushing again, almost nervous for whatever Daryl would say as well as feeling a bit pathetic over how hopeful he had sounded. He knew there was a possibility Daryl hadn't meant it though if he hadn't he didn't know why Daryl would say it in a text. Call this his home.

"You live here so I guess it's sort of my home," Daryl sighed as he averted his eyes from Paul's gaze. "But I didn't really mean the house in particular," he clarified and his words made Paul arch an eyebrow in confusion. "I meant you. You're my home," he said definitively like he had made his mind up and Paul had to pause.

Let himself take in Daryl's words because they were deep and he knew they were big. For Daryl to say that he was, his home. Especially when he was always leaving with Merle but then again he always did filter back into Paul's life and fuck Paul was kind of sure he was about to get sentimental.

Knowing Daryl probably hadn't felt this way about anyone before. Could have felt it about his brother since they were so close at times but he didn't. Instead he felt that way about Paul. Paul was Daryl's home and that was even bigger in his opinion than Daryl thinking his home was home.

It meant more to Paul. So fucking much more.

"I'm your home?" Paul asked softly with a raised eyebrow again and a smirk on his lips. "Really?"

Daryl nodded his head, "You're really my home but please don't go getting all chick flick sentimental on me there Rovia."

Paul snorted some as he leaned in to leave a tiny peck on Daryl's lips. "Too late," he muttered as he pulled away though he still stayed just close enough. "Already went and got all sentimental Dixon," he smirked before leaning in to kiss him again and this time it was longer than a peck.

It was kiss too that involved his hands moving to slide under Daryl's t-shirt. Hearing the other man moan at the skin to skin contact. Which only seemed to spurn Paul on more as he deepened the kiss, letting his hips rut into Daryl's briefly.

"Think we can put the whiskey off for a bit longer?" Paul asked with a raised eyebrow as he pulled away from the kiss briefly. "I think something even better came up instead," he teased before letting his hips again move into Daryl's. Showing the other man that something else had indeed came up.

"Knew you were trying to get into my pants," Daryl teased though he leaned in to peck Paul's lips again. "But I do think what came up is even better than whiskey so how can I say no?"

Giving Daryl a mischievous smile, Paul leaned in and kissed him again and really all of this was Daryl's fault for being so...just so fucking cute and romantic by saying that he was his home and whiskey be damned right now in Paul's mind.

They could drink the whiskey after they had sex. After they finally let themselves have each other again after five months without.


End file.
